Samoa Finance Minister facing opposition from his own party

Samoa's Minister of Finance, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, has returned from overseas to face scrutiny over spending on his new office.

About a quarter of a million US dollars was reportedly spent on the office.

The minister has confirmed that MPs from the ruling Human Rights and Protection Party have given a letter to the prime minister, which will be discussed in a special caucus meeting tomorrow.

Faumuina did not reveal the content of the letter but a reliable source in the party says it asks the prime minister, Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi, to sack him.

The party says there are other issues concerning the MPs, including a recent Court of Appeal ruling in which the government was ordered to pay compensation of 800,000 US dollars to the Siva Afi company.

Faumuina had been the minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who evicted the company from government land to allow for the construction of a new multi-million dollar complex.